Head to Ireland to see Northern Ligths

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

The event is the result of a peak in the sun’s activity a meaning stargazers will soon have the best chance of spotting the celestial light show in more than a decade. Hürriyet photo

If you’ve set your sights on seeing the Northern Lights in 2012 you won’t have to travel very far, according to astronomers, British Daily Mail reported.

Most Aurora Borealis hunters head to Norway, Sweden, Finland or Canada to spot nature’s magical light show but the stunning solar phenomena is expected to be visible over Irish skies in the coming weeks. The rare event is the result of a peak in the sun’s activity, which means that stargazers will have the best chance of spotting the celestial light show in more than a decade.

Brendan Alexander, an astronomer in County Donegal, said the further north and away from city lights people are, the better chance they have of seeing the dream-like spectacular.

“It’s definitely worth seeking out. It’s an event that - especially on these shores - is so rare. But we are lucky to live just north enough to experience it - any country further south than us won’t be able to see it,” he said.

Every 11 years
The sun has a “heartbeat” every 11 years or so - known as the solar cycle - and when it erupts, charged particles blast into space and are sucked into the North Pole.

These explosions react with the earth’s atmosphere, sparking great swathes of colored light over the night skies, known for centuries by native north Americans as the Dance of the Spirits.

The long, clear darkness of winter is among the most likely times to see it and astronomers believe the sun will hit the peak of its cycle again in the coming year, reported Daily Mail.

Between now and the equinox in March is being tipped as the best opportunity in Ireland for more than 10 years.